Outstanding Leadership in Special Educational Needs

Book excerpt: This book provides new and experienced Special Educational Needs Coordinators with a critical approach to understanding the importance of Outstanding SEN Leadership and how to effectively meet the current SEN policy requirements. Closely informed by the statutory National Award for SEN Coordination learning outcomes for SENCOs, this book covers all statutory aspects of this challenging leadership role within the school. It provides a principled approach to understanding the challenges and complexity of special educational needs and disability (SEND) within the current context. Through concise summaries of policy and current research, critical discussions, reflective activities, case studies as well as practical examples, it helps the reader to engage more deeply in critical thinking about the effectiveness of current practices in their own school setting, and ways to develop them further for the future. Alison Ekins and Lorna Hughes establish that outstanding leadership of special educational needs is not something that can be achieved just by a single individual -- SENCO has a key role in enabling and empowering everyone in their school setting to understand SEND and engage actively in the development of more inclusive systems to meet the needs of diverse pupils. Outstanding Leadership in Special Educational Needs, will, therefore, support everyone involved in education to develop their understandings of SEND. It is key reading for teachers, educational leaders and policymakers.